Upcoming AARC Events
- World Tai Chi Day • 4/27/24 • 9AM-12PM
-
An annual worldwide event to send a wave of peaceful, healing Qi around the world. Beginning in New Zealand at 10AM in each time zone, ending in Hawaii. Free and open to the public.
Open to all individual practitioners or schools of any style. All levels and ages welcome— beginners group available during Mass Tai Chi.
Schedule:
- 9am Pushing Hands
- 9:30am Opening Group Qigong
- 10am Mass Tai Chi
- 10:30am Stan Rossi Award
- 10:45am Closing Group Qigong
- 10:55am Instructor Group Photo
- 11:00am Demonstrations
- Artist Talk: Diane Chiyon Hong • 4/27/24 • 2PM - 4PM
-
The Asian American Resource Center (AARC) presents Diane Chiyon Hong's artist talk and workshop: The Uncanny and Social Critique in Contemporary Art. Learn more about Diane Chiyon Hong's unique body of work, her artist practice, and her exhibit: Vessels - Handle with Care (on-view at the AARC until July 5th, 2024). Diane Chiyon Hong will be leading participants in a hands-on drawing workshop focusing in on techniques she used to produce her work for Vessels. Space is limited, RSVPs required, light refreshments will be provided.
About the Exhibit:
Vessels - Handle With Care consists of drawings that examine East Asian cultural representation and iconography. By engaging with common tropes, she embarks on the process of reclaiming some part of the narrative and aims to open up space for dialogue and new perspectives.
In these drawings, signifiers that are commonly associated with East Asian culture such as noodle bowls, traditional clothing, hairstyles, and other paraphernalia are humorously intermingled with human figures. Playful juxtapositions of objects and figures create images that are at once endearing and unsettling. She utilizes humor as a subversive tool, and grapples with the complexity of Asian cultural identity by light-heartedly poking fun at the enterprise of stereotyping.
As a person of Asian descent who has lived most of her life in the West, Hong uses these cultural signifiers represented in her work to convey ideas of comfort, home, and tradition that are deeply embedded in childhood memories. These drawings are rendered with great care, alluding to the precious quality of the subject matter. The title of the exhibit refers to the functional objects that are depicted as well as to the human body, which is itself a vessel that holds experiences and memories.
Artist Bio:
Diane Chiyon Hong is an artist and an architect whose work explores the uncanny nature of the ordinary through drawings and paintings. Her recent work focuses on drawings that depict everyday scenes that do not always follow the rules of representational reality. Her work questions the solidity of the world that we experience and reflects on the themes of uncertainty and unpredictability.
Diane Chiyon Hong was born in Seoul, South Korea (1969) and raised in São Paulo, Brasil and New York City, USA. She studied fine arts at the Fiorello LaGuardia School of the Arts in New York City and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Architectural Design from Columbia University. She currently lives and works in Austin, Texas.
- Asian American Professional Summit • 5/3/24 • 4PM-7PM
-
The event aims to empower Asian American and Pacific Island professionals in their career journeys, as well as activate support the local AAPI community outside of the
office.
Attendees are invited to listen in on panel discussions featuring local community and business leaders, forge valuable connections with local AAPI nonprofits and community groups, and share our diverse experiences, exchange insights and ideas with other professionals in various industries. We’re thrilled to bring together the diverse perspectives and expertise of our attendees and create a space for meaningful conversations and connections. Light refreshments and drinks will be provided. All are welcome to attend. This event is free with RSVP.
The Austin Asian Professional Submit is hosted in collaboration with the Asian American Resource Center (AARC) and the GAACC, with support from Austin Asian Film Festival, Orchid Events, and Northshore Media. - Citizenship Clinic • 5/4/24 • 9AM- 2PM
-
Apply for US Citizenship! In collaboration with the City of Austin's Equity Office and American Gateways, the AARC will be hosting a Citizenship Clinic this spring on May 4th, from 9AM to 2PM. The first 75 participants will receive FREE one-on-one assistance to complete the N400 application for naturalization. For more information on what to bring to the citizenship clinic, please visit bit.ly/citizenship-atx. All participants will need to have attended on of the three info sessions throughout April — Vietnamese and Spanish interpretation provided.
.png)
- CelebrASIA Austin • Saturday 5/18 • 11AM - 3PM
RSVP on Eventbrite or Facebook
Sign up to volunteerThe City of Austin's Asian American Resource Center (AARC) is hosting its annual CelebrASIA Austin event, featuring performances, art, culture, food, and more! This free, family-friendly festival will take place during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month on Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 11am to 3pm.
The main stage will be indoors in the AARC ballroom, with special performances from a wide range of groups, including Heavenly Dragon Lion Dance Association, Austin Kyudo, KhushATX, QiLi Dance, Austin Uri Karak Dance Group, FASCA, Austin Moonflower Performing Arts Group, Senior Bollywoord Dance Group, and Saloni Dance Group.
The AARC’s classrooms will be transformed into cultural experience rooms, where you can immerse in hands-on cultural experiences. This year’s cultural experience rooms will be curated by the following groups:
- Austin Hong Kongers - The Hong Kong XR Museum will use AR technology to create a visually engaging environment that brings to life the traditions and heritage of Hong Kong.
- Indonesian Diaspora Network of Greater Austin - Learn more about the Kebaya, traditionally worn by Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese women and now considered a national costume in Indonesia.
- Natayla School of Dance - Join in and learn more about Bharathanaytam, a type of South Asian classical dance that uses a combination of intricate movements to tell stories.
- Austin Japanese Minyo Group - Experience Japanese culture and heritage, and learn more about the traditions of origami, kimono, anime, matcha, and more.
- AARC’s Teen Mentorship Program - This year, the AARC brought together teens and mentors from across Austin for the first time. Drop by to hear more from program participants and check out their capstone project!
Doors open at 11am and performances will begin at 11:30. Food will be available from local vendors, including Bake 'n Bite ATX, Lotus Creamery, Sharetea, Tsaocaa Austin, and Mama Kong Cambodian. There will also be other tables and activities provided by community organizations like Asian Family Support Services of Austin, Austin Community College, Austin Queer Asians, Indie Meme, Network of Asian American Organizations and more.
This is an indoor-outdoor event, so please dress accordingly. The AARC parking lot will only be available for ADA parking, but there will be shuttles from three nearby lots -- 1520 Rutherford Lane, 8700 Cameron Road, and 8900 Cameron Road.
If you need more information, email us at aarc@austintexas.gov.
- Hyphenated Book Club • Year Round • 6PM - 7:30PM
-
The Hyphenated Book Club is back for a new year! Join fellow book lovers in the community to dive into works by Asian American authors. From new releases by emerging voices to beloved community favorites, fiction to non-fiction and everything in-between, explore the diversity of American literature from an Asian American lens. All meet ups are free and open to the public to attend. All sessions are hosted in person at the AARC. See below for Hyphenated's reading list and meet up dates. Learn more and RSVP at www.aarcatx.eventbrite.com.
- April 9 – 6PM-7:30PM - Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
- June 4 – 6PM-7:30PM - They Called Us Exceptional and Other Lies that Raised Us by Prachi Gupta
- July 30 – 6PM-7:30PM - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
- September 24– 6PM-7:30PM – Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H.
- November 19 6PM-7:30PM – All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
- AARC Community & In House Exhibits • ONGOING • FREE
-
The AARC’s Community Art Exhibit Program displays artworks year round that celebrate the diverse and dynamic cultural heritage, history, identity and creativity of Asian American Pacific Islanders. Exhibits are displayed on a quarterly schedule. Learn more by visiting: www.austintexas.gov/page/asian-american-resource-center-exhibits
- Ongoing Senior Programs
-
AARC staff is excited to start offering limited wellness classes at the facility and continue virtual classes starting August 30th. To register, email us at AARC@austintexas.gov or contact us at 512-974-1700 for more information. Learn more about the current class schedule, how to register, and modified operational guidelines by visiting: www.austintexas.gov/page/aarc-senior-programming
Current programming includes:
- Tai Chi with Mr. Huang
- Gentle Chair Yoga with Patti
- Ping Pong
- Senior Garden Group
- Tai Chi with Vince Cobalis or Gongxian
- Movement and Meditation
- ACC - ESL Classes • Tuesdays and Thursdays • 6PM - 9PM
-
ACC's free ESL courses help non-native speakers learn basic English for college or the workplace, or simply to become more comfortable with everyday communication. Check the ESL Class Schedule to view a variety of days and times.
Current Contract Instructor Programs
The AARC is a public facility with free community rooms available for non-commercial usage and also includes rental spaces including the AARC Ballroom, Classrooms, Conference Room and Foyer available for public and private functions. The AARC is not responsible for the community rental and reservation events listed here.
The Calendar of Events provides a listing of events scheduled at the AARC. Only AARC sponsored events, confirmed rental events and public reservations are listed on the event calendar. Every attempt is made to provide accurate listings, but we cannot guarantee accuracy, service or quality of the listings presented due to unforeseen changes. While we strive to be up to date, the information provided may not always be the most recent information. To confirm availability of space for a rental booking, please contact AARC Rentals at AARCrentals@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-1698.